Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-04-14

| ZOE HIS laullli HIS WHO itIt uOtuluR uu-
done for his material comfort.
To-day, when Theodore asked if it would
be well for his father to hurry to dinner,
she glanced hastily at the table to see
that everything was ready, before she re-
piled: Eyes, sen; tell hiE to be spry, fer
the biscuits an light bread got done
sooner'n / looked fer; pears like this
hyere oven bakes mighty fast on a per-
! son."
Theodore had already danced away in
the direction of his f.ther's store, stu
ated at short distance from the house.
and very soon the two appeared, Theo-
dore holding his fathers hand, and talk
ing merrily.
Mr.. Tolliver proceeded to wash his
hands in a tin basin on the back porch
before seating himself at the table
Powerful warm out" he remarked to his
son, as he entered into an engagement
with beef steak of remarkable bone and
sinew. Having conquered in the struggle,
he raised piece aloft on the two prong
ed carving fork and said:
Theodore, ask yer NAV if she'll hev
steak."
Mrs. Tolliver paused in her occupation
Of pouring out coffee, and passing her
plate, replied:
Tell your paw I'll hev bit Of that
rare end"
Theodore was then helped, but Mr.. Toll
liver did not take any himself.
He broke open biscuit and laid it on
his plate in an absent sort of way; then
he poured his coffee out and sat regard
ing the trimming saucer with dreamy
geze.
His wife was observing him narrowly
! flu ha furn f, han xubn
eating with the calm philosophy of seven
years and his knife.
Little chap, wht'd you say to paws.
going away for speil?"
where at, paw" asked the boy.
! "Well, out to Arkansaw, to town thet's
heven' a boom; trades mighty dull hyere,
son-mighty."
Mrs. TOlliver had stopped eating; she
was still making feint of drinking coffee
from the extreme point of her spoon
with noisy energy, but her hand seemed
| tremulOus.
''Ten yer nav that-providin' I 60
things amt nohow settled yeti low to
leave her 'nough to keep you'n her; you'n
her'll hev Hvin', sure"
For a moment silence fell on the three
Theodore regarding his father with open
eyes of interest.
Then Mrs. Tolliver spoke slowly:
"The 'dore, I'd like fer you to tell your
paw tibet don't nOwise see why he talks
a-Ieavin' CIayville. Tell'm 1 reckon he's
tired o. things such as they be hyer, but
tibet nothin' can't be differed less he's
willin' to give up his feelin's.'
''Tain't no manner o. use. THEODORE"
said Mr.. Tolliver, "for yer NAV to talk
about feelin's. Things Is; no matter how
they got there"
"Home amt no home to me; all I want
is to make money for my boy-that's all
I've got to live for now"
Mrs. Tolliver had her plate standing on
its rim, while with her knife she carefully
scraped up every vestige of it's contents,
for like Mistress Gilpin, she was thrifty
soul; she performed this duty with more
than her usual conseientiousness, but her
face had grown ashen in hue.
"F go, you'll write to your paw, won't
ye, The'dore?" asked his father, slowly
moving half biscuit through a lake of
gravy on his plate.
''You bet l will. But [ don't want you
to go way, paw-er could't you take me
an NAV along? could hep lots! I bout
reckon [ could tend stone, paw-Im a
CROWN mighty fast these times!
| His father bent on him a look Of unut-
terable pride and love.
"You wouldn't want to put out and
leave your NAV 'thout no man about the
place, would ye The'dore?" he asked.
swell, no." unused the boy; 'taint to
be thought off he added.
! In a few weeks the departure thus
| preached was an accomplished fact. The
store at Clayville was IN new hands, and
| John Tolliver was seeking wider scope
for his energies in Arkansas.
| Things went on much as usual In his
former home; his wife performed her
duties as of old, but ClayviIIe observers
noted that 'Mrs. Telliver was gittin'
gray mighty soon and mighty fast"
| Theodore wrote to his father constant
ly, and his letters were thought models of
proficiency by the father who received
them, and the mother who read them first,
but who scrupulously refrained from
debating a word.
Thus nearly year had passed, toward
its emo bringing to Theodore, as to most
of the other children of Clayville, an
attack Of scarlet fever. Speedily the
disease developed, and it soon became
apparent that the boy was in dangerous
state, warranting the announcement of
the physicians gravest fears.
II should advise that Mr.. Tolliver be at
once summoned" he said.
The stricken mother seemed deprived
of sense by the intensity of her anguish
yet she relied that her husband must be
at once notified, and she staggered to
Theodore's little writing desk to prepare
the dreadful message.
Here lay his school books, and among
them his slate, where he had written the
first copy of a letter to his father, that
was to have been rewritten upon paper
when completed; 1t would never be finish
ed now, nor transferred to paper, and
the mothers eyes were wet as she read
the lines.
Dear Father: hope you will como
home or should like to live in Arkansas
if could get to go there, our COW has a
cafe and we have tire pigs but we do not
know where they are at. would like to
see you very much. Little tommie Jones
which you know lis sick Of scarlet fever.
would like to see you reckoa so would
ma. dear Pa have you bought horse
vet / wish vyU were home or me and